advanced reading copy of ADOPTING GRACE
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The pediatric trauma team was professional and gentle at the same time. They put on a cervical collar in case of spinal cord injury and began to approach her from all angles and perspectives. A social worker needed to get basic information from me, but when I expressed that at that particular moment I needed to be right next to my confused and terrified girl while she was being peppered with question after question, the social worker pushed me through to this position. After years of working hard to be attuned to the needs of my children, I spoke words of comfort in a calm voice. These words came almost automatically after lots and lots and lots of practice doing the same for both of our girls in their early days, months, and years with us. “Are you sure you are my mommy?” pierced my ears and heart. Even though my girl was confused and didn’t know who I was, she did respond to my voice. I heard an observant team member say, “Mom is calming.” They let me remain right by her side for the duration. CT scans, x-rays, and ultrasounds were performed one right after another. As she moved through the scans, I sang special songs into her ear that were a part of her earliest days in our family. “Skidamarink-adink-adink, skidamarink-adoo, I love you” and a special song I made up just for her during her early difficult adjustment days in our home flowed out from my heart and voice. Each medical professional showed mercy on mother and child as they communicated that one test after another revealed no structural or internal damage. We heard the message over and over again that she was extremely lucky/fortunate/blessed. Both my young daughter and I came ADOPTING GRACE ADVANCED READING COPY 130